With that being said, 8th grade has turned out to fit more into the second category of classes than the first this year. Our time together is set for middle of the afternoon on Tuesday, right after gym class, and my wish to have them all come in, sit quietly, listen to my instructions, and enjoy a tranquil time in the library is lost within the first minute of entering the room. How do I get their attention without yelling? Will they respect me if I do not come down hard on them? Should I be stricter with my punishments? Why do I, after prayer and submission, find myself in tears some days when I feel so disrespected as adult and leader of the class? Am I a weak person?
God has given me much insight into the answers to these questions, though I will not share them now. My Tuesday afternoons with 8th grade have been some of the most challenging hours I've experienced here, and above you see some of the thoughts that race through my mind as I have endured them mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
Last weekend, I had a lot of fun with 8th grade. Yes, the same group of 14 year olds that have flipped my world upside down on more than one occasion did the same last weekend. It was in a totally different way this time. I had the privilege of being a leader on their 8th grade retreat. A weekend they spent together at a place here in Jarabacoa where there were competitions, games, talks, food, swimming, and late night coloring on the poor faces of those who had gone to sleep too early. I so appreciated this time of not having to think of how strict I needed to be or how I should respond to their rowdiness; I was able just to join in!
After almost two school years of working in ANIJA, I have realized the importance of the kid's last year there. Many of them started attending ANIJA at four or five years of age. After many years of pouring into them, leading them and sharing the good news with them, many begin to make a turn in this last year. Several of the 8th grade kids accepted Christ as their Savior and made a decision for Him within the past couple of months during their mission trip or the retreat. These are really special opportunities where the kids are evangelized to by people other than the adults they see every day. A great Christ-follower, the same one who spoke at the retreat last year, spoke this year. He has an amazing gift of speaking to this age group; you can tell he has been given wisdom of how to relate to and approach them. Besides speaking about Christ as God and Savior, something that they have all heard many times, the guest speaker spoke about really important issues as well: how to choose your friends, sex, and dating, to name a few. We were constantly in the Word as he led talks about these topics; everything he said had scripture to back it up. Praise be to God for the opportunity for these very young souls to hear such truth.
My most encouraging moment of the weekend had to be on the last day. The talk that day was about sex and dating. Here in the Dominican, sexual promiscuity is not uncommon in the least, and young girls of 12 or 13 years old find themselves pregnant in a poor neighborhood where there is little hope because that is what they have grown up to know. That stops with Jesus. If only those girls could know how much He loves them, and how damaging and hurtful what they are doing is; how putting their trust in Him and following His ways will lead to life and hope.
That is what was shared with our young people that day, along with what the purpose of dating is, what the purpose of marriage is, why we do it, what God wants it to look like, and how to fight the temptation of making serious decisions prematurely. Afterward in small groups divided between the girls and boys, we were talking about all that had been said and the girls made such encouraging comments. One of them, who has practically yelled in my face and walked out of the library furious on different occasions, said something like this, 'I have over 10 siblings, from many different fathers; I have a sister who is pregnant at 13 and a cousin who is married (probably not legally) at 15, and the list goes on. But that is not what I want to be like, and I know that I can be the difference and be an example'. I was so proud, I could have cried. I have no idea what this young girl's life is like at home, though I do know she has been abandoned in some form and is living with family friends. God has her in ANIJA to open her to knowledge of who He is and what His truth means. She has obviously embraced that and I could not be happier. I have forgiven her of all the times she has offended me, not just because it's right to do, but because God has given her an immense amount of grace; who am I to try and give less. It's times like that, which I believe God is working within me as well, to encourage me in my existence here and to help me to be more merciful toward these children who come from really difficult, heart-breaking backgrounds.
I look forward to the next couple of months with the 8th graders, before they set out on their next journey of high school, outside of the ANIJA walls. I have a hunch that my once a week time with them will be different now. God bless them, God bless ANIJA, and may He continue to work mightily in their lives in these final weeks of school!